DUSTING TRICKS AND TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS

Dusting is often at the top of people’s most disliked chore lists. While the routine of dusting should be low stress and low energy, we find it’s often seen as a frustrating exercise in futility. The process of wiping down every surface is calming and routine, but finding bits of dust in all the same places a few minutes later can be enraging! After all, if dusting isn’t thorough and complete, it isn’t worth doing.

As professionals, we don’t have the time to go over the same spaces again and again with a duster. We also can’t risk having less than effective cleaning routines. If a space isn’t dust free when the owner comes back, they won’t be happy. That’s why we have learned all the tips and tricks of dusting that we can. We hope these ideas will help you with your home cleaning too!

Pick the right tools! The worst enemy to dusting is a tool that will push the stuff around rather than pick it up for you. Microfiber cloths are the true geniuses behind great dusting. They don’t streak or spot and they grab rather than moving the dust. Since dust clings to surfaces due to static electricity, using a very light spray for water or vinegar water on the microfiber cloth will help break that static cling and increase the effectiveness of your dusting.

Dust before you do anything else. While vacuuming can increase the dust on surfaces by blowing dust around, it’s much more likely that vacuuming will pick up the majority of the dust that falls on the floor after its removed from surfaces. If you’re dealing with a very dusty situation you may have to dust twice. Once before vacuuming, then a quick second go-over to remove any stray dust pushed up by the vacuum.

Start at one side of a room and move around in an orderly manner. It’s easy to forget one or two pieces of furniture when dusting an entire room or home. That’s why we always start at the entry to the room and move clockwise around the room before finishing up with any pieces found in the center.

Start at the top and turn fans off! Since gravity and wind are forces that can either work for or against you, don’t forget to dust from the top down and keep any fans shut off while you work. If there’ s no breeze, dust will fall with gravity, so let that help you move dust away from surfaces and towards the floor where you’ll soon vacuum to remove it altogether.

Don’t forget the ceiling fans, blinds, picture frames, baseboards and door and window frames. While these probably don’t need dusting every single time you clean, they quickly collect enough dust to make your home feel dirty. Again, microfiber cloths work wonders. Don’t worry about using specialty cleaning devices for every kind of dusting!

Last but not least, search out the dust bunnies! Once it’s vacuuming time be extra sure to vacuum under and around all the furniture and use a dust mop if necessary. These hidden dust bombs can sabotage your dusting work in a matter of moments if a strong breeze or fan helps them along. While this isn’t technically dusting, it can save you from a LOT of re-dusting so it’s highly recommended.

While these tips and tricks will not necessarily make dusting more fun, we know they can greatly improve your dusting technique and lead to far less dusting! Our philosophy: when you do dust, do it right. Then you can spend the rest of your time basking in the glow of your clean home without worrying about what you missed. Happy cleaning!